Hi -My 5yr old Sheltie just has his annual exam. The only problem seems to be high cholesterol of 520. He has been eating Honest Kitchen Base mix plus we add 93% fat free protein. Rocky is appears to be healthy other than panting a lot which we think
Hello,
In dogs, unlike humans, we generally don't worry about their diets with high cholesterol. High cholesterol can be associated with both hypothyroidism and adrenal disease, as well as a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol.
I would recommend talking to your vet about the rest of the of blood panel and seeing if there are any other abnormalities that might point to an endocrine disorder or a genetic predisposition before changing his diet. However, some boutique, "fancier" diets are not actually balanced for canine nutrition. In particular, grain free diets have been associated with heart disease over time. I would talk to your vet about his diet and make sure it's meeting his nutritional needs before making any new changes. If you do decide to change his diet, please do so over a course of seven days so the rapid change of food does not cause stomach upset.
Other signs of hypothyroidism include: increased appetite, weight gain, lesser activity levels, hair loss, and cha
Updated on September 24th, 2025